NFL Quick Shots: Colts sell out NFL and own fans by pulling starters

Colts coach Jim Caldwell doesn’t get it. The former Beloit (Wis.) Memorial star says no team ever says its goal is to go undefeated; the universal goal is to win the Super Bowl. That’s wrong.

Matt Trowbridge

Colts coach Jim Caldwell doesn’t get it. The former Beloit (Wis.) Memorial star says no team ever says its goal is to go undefeated; the universal goal is to win the Super Bowl. That’s wrong.

Every Bear I’ve talked to, in more than 15 years of covering the NFL as a columnist or a beat writer, says the goal is to win every week. Dave Wannstedt once faced a near-mutiny when he replaced Erik Kramer with Rick Mirer in the second half of a win at St. Louis (a win, by the way, that may have kept the 4-12 Bears from drafting Ryan Leaf).

Caldwell’s choice to bench Peyton Manning with a 15-10 lead that turned into the first loss for the 14-0 Colts was wrong for many reasons. It doesn’t work; whenever the Colts tanked late games under Tony Dungy, they also tanked in the playoffs. It wasn’t needed; Manning never gets hurt, starting all 191 games of his career. It hurt the NFL’s credibility and might let an undeserving Jets team into the playoffs. He betrayed his own players, who clearly wanted a shot at 19-0 history.

And, worst of all, Caldwell betrayed Colts fans, who flooded call-in shows with complaints. Some called for refunds. The NFL is in the entertainment business. Purposely infuriating your own fans is now way to do business.

If winning, no matter how you do it, is all that mattered, Roger Bannister wouldn’t have tried so hard to crack the four-minute mile and Secretariat would have eased up in the Preakness. Not giving your best cheapens sports, period.

The Panthers are the anti-Colts. With nothing to play for, Carolina (7-8) routed the Vikings and Giants the last two weeks. Star receiver Steve Smith played with a broken arm.

Cutler only reckless on road

The myth persists that Jay Cutler can’t play at night, when the real Good Jay/Bad Jay split is home vs. road. Cutler’s 20 interceptions on the road are the most in the NFL in 31 years, since the Raiders’ Ken Stabler threw 21, and he has one game left at Detroit. In the same number of home games going into Monday’s game against the Vikings, Cutler had only five interceptions.

Manning a true team leader

For years, Quick Shots thought Peyton Manning faded in big games. It started with Tennessee winning the NCAA title the year after he graduated, like Virginia reaching the Final Four the year after Ralph Sampson graduated. But Manning long ago showed his championship mettle. He showed it again Sunday when he emphatically supported coach Jim Caldwell pulling him and ruining the Colts’ perfect season. "Until any player in here is the head coach, you follow orders and you follow them with all your heart," Manning told Indianapolis reporters.

Matt Trowbridge’s NFL Quick Shots appear Tuesdays. He can be reached at 815-987-1383 or mtrowbridge@rrstar.com.

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